I used to love going to movies, but home entertainment has gotten so good in recent years. How are you improving the movie-going experience to get people like me off the couch?

Asked by slowburn over 4 years ago

There are a large amount of people perfectly happy watching movies at home. Studios have tried to bring you out to the theaters by bringing 3D, and producing better films. Also, about 95% of theaters in the U.S. have gone digital, which means a much better quality of the film. Many theaters are replacing older seats with bigger, more comfortable seats. Some of these new seats even recline to an almost flat position. Also, you will continue to see more theaters offer a restaurant-like option, and alcohol.

As a small, independent theater, we offer entertainment value. Families come to my theater because its a great way to keeps the kids happy for a few hours at a low price. The childrens films today are exceptional, as well as the "Super Hero" movies such as Avengers, Batman, Superman, Thor, Spiderman, etc.

Is the thing in Fight Club where they still have to manually change the reels half way through movies true?

Asked by D3rAn3e over 4 years ago

This was true for movies prior to the invention of the platter. The platter enabled projectionists to splice together the entire movie, which may have arrived in 2 or 3 reels. The giant platters could hold the entire movie in one giant reel.

There are very few theaters left that still use 35mm reels. Most have converted toi digital. Movies now arrive on small hard drives or are sent over satellite directly to the theaters servers.

Popcorn seems like such a random food to serve at the movies (though I guess it's just assumed it's the standard now). Any idea how that started?

Asked by B.E.T. over 4 years ago

Popcorn wasn’t introduced to the general public as a snack food until around 1840, when it first made appearances at fairs, carnivals and rallies. In 1885, with the invention of the first portable popcorn machine, its popularity increased dramatically. Popcorn vendors followed the crowds, set up shop, and introduced popcorn neophytes to the joys of butter, salt, and crunch. It was a cheap and tasty hit.

As fate would have it, the popcorn boom coincided with the dawn of nickelodeon (or dime) theatres. Vendors, quick to spot an opportunity, sold their treats outside of the movies. Though patrons loved it, the mess left behind, the smell of the machines, and popcorn’s association with burlesque, irritated movie theatre owners, especially as the fancier theaters of the 1910s and 20s were built.

But as the Great Depression set in, and profits dropped, desperate owners sought new ways to make money. They noticed how lucrative the popcorn business was and installed machines of their own inside. Soon, concession stands were integrated into the designs of theatres. A movie and a bucket of popcorn became one of the main forms of entertainment for cash-strapped Americans well into the 1930s.

When the TV came along, and threatened the movie business once again, concession stands became as central to a movie theatre’s success as the movies themselves. And when sugar rations took hold during World War II, making candy no longer available at the movies, popcorn sales skyrocketed. By the time sugar was reintroduced to the public, the notion of popcorn at the movies had become ingrained in the minds of theater patrons everywhere.

Today, concession stand sales account for a whopping 40 percent of movie theatres’ net revenue. And while new snacks are constantly being introduced, popcorn endures.

Who makes the decision to open a movie in an 'INDEPENDENT' theater, and is it usually because a film can't get into a major theater chain?

Asked by Jimles over 4 years ago

Movie studios will generally release the biggest movies to almost all theaters, if they have room. My theater gets just about all the new movies, except those that are released in "limited" runs. These films will go to a select group based on what they percieve to be best for the film.

Any theater with at least 6 screens will generally choose what they want.